Wood choice

[Mark SW]

Just wondering what your favorite wood is? Hard wood soft wood domestic exotic  and where do you get it?

I am partial to African Mahogany , Maple , hard , soft . figured... ,  Black Walnut and  Quarter sawn White oak are my favorites.

 

 

[kmmcrafts]

I like most all of the hardwoods.. but probably Cherry is my most used wood.. Love to cut walnut but for my projects I find the darker wood doesn't show all the details in the cutting like a lighter wood would.. I get a large amount of my wood from my brothers sawmill or my uncles.. but if they don't have what I'm looking for then I buy it at a local place called Johnson's workbench.. try to only buy it during their wood expo sale.. as they offer some really awesome deals. ave to buy a lot because the expo is only held once a year.. First part of Sept. 

I under estimated and ran out back in March-April so I've been picking up a few boards here and there from the mill.. but the stuff from the mill is usually not dried out good..    

[Rockytime]

I cut pine because it is cheap and I can afford it.

[RangerJay]

My go-to woods for most projects are walnut and oak - choice is usually walnut as the primary choice with oak as the trim - but vice versa on some - but having said that I spend a serious lot of extra time on those special one-of-a-kind projects trying to make sure that the "WOW" factor is well represented by the wood choice - this inevitability means considering pretty much the entire range of woods that might be available at my local hardwood supplier - one thing that I have really noted is that it becomes a lot cheaper to use your go-to woods for the lions share of all projects - but then add some accent trim on special project from an alternative wood species - specifically;y chosen to take the whole work to another level - never been skunked by this approach.  On occasion I have done a project that seems to demand a really unique approach to the kind of wood that is best - on these kind of projects I spend a lot of time and research on the wood choice - inevitably the choice is also a one-of-a-kind solution. Should also mention that those projects where an historical kind of "heritage" grain is really important then consider elm - it is without question my favourite wood for these kinds of projects.

Hope this response makes sense - (sounded kind of confusing when I re-read it) - think what I am saying is gravitate to some basic and inexpensive choices for most of your work - then spend a lot of time picking what you will use for those one-off pieces that you want to really generate a WOW factor  .....

 

Jay

[Bill WIlson]

I prefer hardwoods, mostly domestic versions.  Cherry, walnut & sassafras are probably my favorites, but the project often dictates the wood.  Fortunately, many domestic hardwoods are readily available in Western PA.  I've got a barn full of rough cut lumber, that came from trees on the farm here and we had sawn into boards several years ago.  I still buy lumber, from time to time, when I want something I don't have available, such as African Mahogany.  It cuts and finishes well and its medium brown color provides a nice contrast when used with lighter woods like maple & sassafras and even a really dark wood like walnut.

[bandaideman]

I use any wood that may be on hand. I prefer Walnut, Oak red or white, cherry. I have been blessed with good older friends who know someone wanting to give wood they have away. Some have built a home and took down the extra trees milled them and were stored but not going to use them. Been known to do some dumpster diving. because I do like free. I will use the box stores if have too but not too much

[WayneMahler]

I use a lot of red oak. I like warmth it ads/ Black Cherry and Maple are also really great to work with.

[wombatie]

Thats an easy question to answer, its Tasmanian Blackheart Sassafras.

Marg

[lawson56]

I use to use white pine,here lately,I have been cutting all my plaques with 1/4 B,B

[tgiro]

I'm an intarsia  guy, so the woods I use are based on the colors I need for the projects I'm making - With patience you can find any color wood you want except blue. Yes, I know there is blue pine (Grey) and a couple of exotics that are called blue but are more of a bluish green.

The problem is, that, over the years, wood changes - get's darker, usually. I have some (originally) bright red blood wood turn almost black. Bright yellow or orange Osage Orange will turn brown in a couple of years. All the shades of Western Cedar eventually meld together in the same brown color.

[poupster2]

My wood of choice are Cherry, walnut, Maple, Poplar and basswood.  But I also use Baltic birch and any combination of 1/4 plywood for backers, and also to make ornaments.  I feel very lucky because most of the wood I use comes from the scraps of a furniture maker here in Vermont.  The only wood I have purchased in the past 3 years is Baltic birch. My wife keeps telling me to stop bringing more wood in but I can't help myself!  Right now I should have plenty of wood for the next five years or so!